Advances in semiconductor processing and logic design have permitted an increase in the amount of logic that may be present on integrated circuit devices. As a result, computer system configurations have evolved from a single or multiple integrated circuits in a system to multiple hardware threads, multiple cores, multiple devices, and/or complete systems on individual integrated circuits. Additionally, as the density and complexity of integrated circuits has grown, the threat of unauthorized embedded hardware or software components has also escalated.
With the Time to Market (TTM) expectancy shortening in recent years, much of the microelectronics supply chain continues to be outsourced. Trust in the supply chain has been greatly eroded due to many different acts of piracy. This has raised significant questions about the integrity and authenticity of original Intellectual Property (IP) designs embedded inside an Integrated Circuit (IC) or other electronic device.
The following acts of IP piracy have significantly contributed to the erosion of trust in the IC device supply chain: 1) Counterfeiting where a substandard part, rejected part, or a cannibalized part from a previously used and discarded board is remarked as new and re-introduced into the supply chain; and 2) Overbuilding, where the silicon fab houses overproduce blind copies of the ICs in excess of authorization for their own spurious sale. Conventional technologies have been unable to effectively and efficiently provide defenses against these threats.